Refuse-collection vehicle with packer



Oct. 19, 1965 E. F. KAMlN REFUSE-COLLECTION VEHICLE WITH PACKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 2, 1962 Ernesfl? Kamin INVENTOR.

Oct. 19, 1965 E. F. KAMlN REFUSEFCOLLECTION VEHICLE WITH PAGKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 2, 1962 Er'nesi F Kamin INVENTOR.

Z1 Maxi/Am H' S.

United States Patent 3,212,656 REFUSE-COLLECTION VEHICLE WITH PACKER Ernest F. Kamin, 1648 N. Ross Ave., Portland 17, Oreg. Filed Apr. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 184,019 14 Claims. (Cl. 214-82) This invention relates to vehicles, and more particularly to vehicles with hollow refuse-collecting bodies such as may be used in the collection of rubbish or refuse.

Refuse-collection vehicles are common today, particularly in metropolitan communities. They are used to collect garbage and other rubbish, and commonly include a packer within a hollow refuse-collecting body, with such packer when actuated being operable to compact rubbish as it is collected thus to enable the collection of larger loads.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved refuse-collection vehicle, featuring a novel type of packer, and a novel construction for the power-operated means provided for actuating the packer.

In order to facilitate the collection of refuse, it is desirable that any packer provided in its hollow refusecollecting body be retractable as far as possible forwardly in the body, to enable greatest ease in dumping rubbish into the body. When a full load has been collected, it is desirable that the packer when extended be movable the full length of the refuse-collecting body, so that the same may be used to clear the body completely of its load.

Another general object, therefore, is to provide a novel construction for a packer and the means for actuating it, wherein a long stroke is afforded the packer in moving between retracted and extended positions.

In refuse-collection vehicles, packers may tend to veer from side to side during their compaction stroke. Such occurs with binding of the parts guiding the packer and a decrease in the pressure that the packer exerts on the material being compacted. According to this invention, the packer is pulled, rather than pushed, when moving to an extended position, by means connected to the packer at a location disposed toward the rear of the vehicle from the blade of the packer. The effect of such a construction is to minimize such veering tendencies so that the packer moves smoothly toward the rear of the vehicle during its compaction stroke.

Another object of the invention is to provide a packer for the hollow body of a refuse-collection vehicle, where the means for actuating the packer is connected to a projecting portion of the packer disposed toward the rear of the vehicle from the packer blade, and wherein this means exerts a component of force downwardly toward the floor of the hollow body, as well as a component parallel to the floor. The downward component of force is operable to inhibit lifting of the projecting portion, whereby refuse is prevented from collecting under the packer.

The collection of refuse is usually accompanied with the collection of fluids, sometimes in considerable quantities. Most municipalities have regulations providing fines or other penalties where fluids are found leaking from a refuse truck into the streets. It is important, therefore, that provision be made to inhibit leakage of such fluids. Thus it is another object to provide a novel refusecollection vehicle that includes a novel drain or collection system for fluids whereby the same are drained from inside the hollow body and collected in sump structure.

A further object is to provide such a vehicle with a drain system for fluids organized so that with the packer in its retracted position, the packer shields an opening in the drain system (thus to prevent rubbish from entering the system and filling it), and with the packer moved to its extended position, the opening is exposed to enable easy cleaning of the system.

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Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent as the following description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a truck or vehicle for collecting refuse, such including at the rear thereof a hollow refusecollecting body, portions of the body having been broken away to illustrate details of interior construction;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional View, taken generally along the line 22 in FIG. 1, and illustrating a packer provided in the truck;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, with portions broken away, illustrating the floor of the hollow refuse-collecting body, and a fluid drainage system provided for the body; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, on a somewhat enlarged scale, taken generally along the line 44 in FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, and first of all more particularly to FIG. 1, 10 indicates generally a refusecollection vehicle or truck. The vehicle includes a truck frame 12, and front and rear lateral support wheels 14 and 16, respectively. A cab for housing the driver of the vehicle is indicated at 18. To the rear of cab 18, and mounted on frame 12, is a hollow refuse-collecting body, indicated at 20.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, body 20 comprises a floor 22, sides 24, 26, a front wall 28, and a ceiling 30. The sides and front wall are suitably joined to the floor and extend upwardly therefrom. The ceiling extends between and is joined to the top margins of the sides, and front wall 28. An opening, such as opening 32, may be provided in the ceiling, to accommodate dumping refuse into body 20.

Openable means, in the form of doors 34, 36, are mounted adjacent the rear end of body 20. In FIG. 3, fragments of the doors are shown in solid outline swung to open position. The doors may be swung from this open position to a closed position, where the rear end of body 20 is closed off, as indicated in FIG. 3, by the dashed outline for bottom edge portions of the doors.

A packer or ejector mounted within hollow body 20 is indicated at 40. The packer includes a blade 42 that extends transversely of body 20, and projects forwardly from the front face 42b of the blade (or toward the rear end of the body) and joins the blade, and a nose portion or cover 44.

Blade 42 has a bottom edge 42a that is positioned closely adjacent floor 22. The front face of the blade is angularly cupped. Along the back of the blade, and providing strength therefor, are upright braces, such as brace 46.

Nose portion or cover 44 is hollow, and functions as a covering for a ram 50 used to actuate the packer and move it between its retracted position (shown in solid outline in FIG. 1), and its extended position (shown in dashed outline in FIG. 1). The nose portion includes a top 52, which inclines downwardly progressing from the blade toward the rear of the body 20, and joined to the top and extending to the floor vertical sides 54, 56.

It will be noted that the right end of the nose portion in FIG. 1 (its forward end) is considerably farther toward the rear of the vehicle body than the packer blade. Ram 50 has an extensible end 57 (its rod end) pivotally connected to this forward end of the nose portion, by a pivot connection 58. The ram extends from pivot connection 58 toward the front of the vehicle. Because of the connection of the extensible end of the ram with the nose portion at a location spaced toward the rear of the vehicle from the packer blade, when the ram is extended blade 42 is pulled rearwardly, rather than pushed, which minimizes tendencies of the blade to veer from side to side.

On each side of nose portion 44, and snugly adjacent the bottom margins of sides 54, 56, are elongated upright flanges 60, 62. These flanges are part of elongated angle irons secured to the floor. The flanges inhibit refuse from collecting under the nose portion. They also function to guide the nose portion, and thus the packer, during its movement along the vehicle body.

Guides may also be provided for the ends of the blade. In the embodiment illustrated, a block 66 is shown secured to each end of its blade adjacent the bottom edge. The blocks travel along runways 68 that extend longitudinally along sides 24, 26 of body 20.

It is important that the ram used to actuate the blade have a stroke long enough to enable it to move the full length of body 20. As already discussed, this facilitates the dumping of rubbish into body with the packer retracted, and the clearing of rubbish completely from the body when a full load has been collected. According to this invention, an exceptionally long-stroke ram may be used to actuate the packer. In fact, a single extension ram in most instances is sufficient to produce movement of the packer the length of body 20.

Ram 50, already referred to, is such a single extension ram and comprises, in addition to rod 57, a cylinder 72. Cylinder 72 extends forwardly in the vehicle from pivot connection 58, and has a forward end in front of front wall 28 and above cab 18. The forward end of cylinder is received within a hollow mounting portion 76, which is joined to front wall 28, and includes side walls 78 and a sloping bottom 80. At a point above the cab and in front of wall 28, cylinder 72 is pivotally connected, by a pivot connection 74, to mounting portion 76.

The construction described enables the provision of a long-stroke ram for actuating the packer, and has the further advantage of enabling the ram to be inclined at a considerable angle from a perpendicular position, in all of its positions. With the ram fully contracted, and the packer in its retracted position, in the embodiment shown the ram is inclined almost 45 from perpendicular. Thus when the ram is initially extended, all of its force is not directed against the floor, but a substantial component of its directed parallel to the floor toward the rear of body 20. On extension of the ram, the slope of the ram decreases, as may be seen in FIG. 1 by comparing the position shown for the ram in dashed outline with the position shown in solid outline. With the ram connected to the packer nose at a location disposed rearwardly in the body 20 from the packer blade, as already discussed, the downward component of force that the ram exerts in all of its positions on the packer nose is utilized to prevent the nose from lifting up and to prevent rubbish from collecting thereunder.

Top 52 of the nose portion or cover has a slope substantially the same as the incline or slope of the ram, with the ram contracted. This provides the necessary clearance for the ram. The slope also is effective in causing refuse to tend to fall off the nose portion and distribute itself on either side thereof when the packer is moved into the refuse.

Earlier it was mentioned that the collection of refuse often was accompanied with the collection of considerable amounts of fluids. According to this invention, such fluids are drained from the inside of body 20, by a novel drainage or collection system now to be described.

Specifically, and now referring mainly to FIG. 3, extending transversely of body 20, inside the body and at the forward end thereof, is trough 82. Trough 82 may, as shown, have a floor 84 with side portions 84a, 84b that slope downwardly progressing from the sides toward the midline of the vehicle. The function of trough 82 is to collect all fluid that may at some time flow against front wall 28.

Adjacent the rear of body 20 there is provided a reservoir or sump 86. As can be seen with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, this is mounted beneath floor 22, and holes or apertures 88 in the floor provide a passage for the flow of fluid from the inside of body 20 into the reservoir or sump.

Sump 86 may be cleared of fluid or any other material therein by opening a horizontal cover 90 closing off an opening in the base of the sump. A latch 92 locks the cover in a closed position. A seal 94 seals cover 90 to the base of the sump with the cover closed.

At certain times doors 34, 36 may be opened during the collection of refuse, and when such occurs fluid might flow through the open rear end of body 20 and out into the street. To prevent this a gutter 96 is provided that extends transversely of the vehicle adjacent the rear end of floor 22. Gutter 96 is positioned below the level of floor 22, and portions 96a, 96b of the gutter slope dovmwardly progressing from the sides of the vehicle to its longitudinal midline. Where side portions 96a, 96!) converge, an opening 100 is provided connecting the gutter with the interior of reservoir or sump 86. As can be seen in FIG. 3, gutter 96 is relatively narrow, and lugs that are part of the mechanism provided for locking the doors closed project rearwardly of the gutter thus to protect it from damage.

To prevent leakage from inside the body around the doors, a seal or sealing strip means 102 of rubber or like material is provided. The seal is secured to body 20, and preferably extends upwardly along the sides of the body and along the rear edge of floor 22. With the doors closed, the inner surfaces of the doors clamp against seal 102 to provide a fluid-tight seal. Thus, ordinarily gutter 96 is effective only to collect such fluid at the rear of the body that seeps out with doors 34, 36 open.

Between the ends of the floor 22, and below the floor, is a main reservoir or sump 106. A relatively large opening 108 connects sump 106 and the inside of body 20. As can be seen in FIG. 1, sump is located under the nose portion of the packer with the packer in its retracted position. Thus, opening 108 is covered or shielded by the packer (its nose portion) until the packer is shifted rearwardly in the vehicle and away from the opening. As a consequence, refuse is prevented from falling into the sump through the opening, as refuse is always dumped into body 20 in the space to the rear of the packer. The opening, however, is accessible for cleaning purposes.

Sump 106 includes a lower portion 110 where fluid collects after entering the sump. The same may be opened for cleaning purposes by swinging open a cover 112 connected by hinges 114 to the base thereof. A latch 116 holds the cover in a closed position, and a suitable seal may be provided between the cover and the base of portion 110.

Connecting at one end with the base of trough 82, is a pipe or conduit 120. Pipe 120 connects at its other end with sump 106. A similar pipe 122 connects sump or reservoir 86 with main sump 106. Pipe 120, with the vehicle unloaded, slopes downwardly at its rear end, so that the contents of trough 82 drains through the pipe tomain sump 106. Pipe 122, with the vehicle unloaded, slopes downwardly at its forward end so that the contents of reservoir 86 also drains through the pipe to main sump 106.

Vehicle 10 ordinarily is sprung so that With body 20 unloaded, floor 22 of the body slopes downwardly progressing toward the front end of the floor. As a load is collected, and compacted at the rear end of body 20, the rear end of the vehicle becomes weighted down. In the process, floor 22 of the body passes through a horizontal position, to a position sloping toward the rear of the vehicle. Pipe 122 may substantially parallel the floor, so that with body 20 loaded, it slopes slightly toward the rear of the vehicle, together with the floor.

During the initial phases of collecting a load of refuse, apertures 88 at the rear end of the vehicle function to drain off fluid at the rear of body 20 with the same flowing into sump 106. Trough 82 at the forward end of the vehicle drains off fluid at the forward end of body 20 with the same flowing into sump 196 through pipe 120. When a full load of refuse is collected, and should such contain considerable fluid, some fluid may flow from the central sump 196 to the rear reservoir 86, since with a full load pipe 122 slopes downwardly progressing toward the rear of the vehicle. The two sumps then complement each other in functioning as holding reservoirs. With the load subsequently dumped, all fluid will flow to the central sump, where it may be removed from the system through the primary dump opening of the drain system, which is the opening at the base of sump 106 closed by cover 112.

It is an easy matter to clean out the inside of hollow body 20. With the packer fully extended, as shown in dashed outline in FIG. 1, the inside of the body may be hosed out, with material passing into the trough and thence into the middle sump, or directly into the middle sump through opening 108, or into the middle sump through reservoir 86 and pipe 122. Cover 112 may be opened and all the contents washed through the central sump into a central receiving station.

I claim:

1. In a refuse-collecting vehicle, a hollow refuse-collecting body with a floor and side walls, a movable packer within said body including a blade facing the rear of said body, said packer being movable between an extended position adjacent the rear of said body and a contracted position adjacent the forward end of said body, a sump for fluid beneath said floor and an opening for said sump for connecting it with the inside of said body at a point forwardly of said packer blade when it is arranged in contracted position, said blade being imperforate, whereby said opening is shielded by said packer from refuse to the rear of said body from said packer in all positions of said packer, and means for opening said sump outside said body whereby the sump may be cleared of liquid.

2. In a refuse-collection vehicle including a hollow refuse-collecting body adjacent the rear of the vehicle for collecting refuse, a packer mounted within said body including a packer blade facing the rear and extending transversely of said body, a nose joined to said packer blade extending rearwardly in said body and having a pair of opposed upright sides and a top joining said sides that slopes downwardly progressing from said blade to the rear of said body, and a ram for moving said packer between a retracted position Where the packer is forwardly in said body and an extended position where the packer is adjacent the rear of said body, said ram having an extensible end connected to a part of said nose disposed rearwardly in said body from said blade, said ram occupying an inclined position substantially paralleling the incline of the top of said nose with said packer in its retracted position.

3. In a vehicle including a hollow refuse-collecting body, a packer for compacting refuse within said body movable from a retracted position adjacent the forward end of said body to an extended position toward the rear end thereof, said packer including a transverse blade and projecting from said blade to the rear end of said body a nose portion, a sump for fluid mounted beneath the floor of said body, and an opening for said sump connecting it with the inside of said body at a point forwardly of said packer blade when it is arranged in contracted position, said blade being imperforate, whereby said opening is positioned so as to be shielded by said packer from refuse deposited between the packer and rear end of said body with said packer in its retracted position.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 wherein said sump is provided with means for opening the same located outside said body.

5. In a refuse-collection vehicle, a hollow refuse-collecting body including a floor and openable means at the rear end thereof for opening said body to accommodate the removal of refuse therefrom, an ejector within said body and means for actuating the ejector whereby the vehicle is a self-unloading vehicle, a transverse gutter extending across the rear of said body and at a lower level than the floor thereof, a sump mounted beneath the floor of said body, and an opening connecting the interior of said gutter with the interior of said sump whereby fluid in the gutter may flow to the sump.

6. The refuse-collection vehicle of claim 5, wherein the gutter has inclined portions that slope downwardly toward the midline of the refuse-collecting body.

7. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein passage means is provided into said sump through the floor of said body adjacent the rear end of said floor.

8. In a refuse-collection vehicle, a hollow refuse-collecting body including a floor and sides, an ejector within said body and means for actuating the ejector whereby the vehicle is self-unloading, a trough for collecting fluid extending transversely of said floor adjacent the forward end thereof, a gutter for collecting fluid extending transversely of said floor adjacent the rear end thereof, a sump intermedaite the ends of said body and conduit means connecting said trough and said gutter with said sump.

9. The refuse-collection vehicle of claim 8, wherein said sump has an opening connecting with the interior of said body intermediate the ends of said floor, wherein the ejection includes a packer movable between retracted and extended positions adjacent the forward and rear ends of said hollow refuse collecting body, respectively, and said opening is shielded by said packer from refuse deposited between the packer and rear end of said body with said packer in its retracted position, and wherein said sump has means for opening the same disposed outside of said body.

10. In a refuse-collection vehicle, a hollow refuse-collecting body including a floor and opposed sides, an ejector within said body and means for actuating the ejector whereby the vehicle is self-unloading, door means extending upwardly from below the floor at the rear end of said body for closing off said rear end, a sump mounted beneath the floor of said body, drain opening means in said floor communicating with said sump and positioned in said body adjacent said door means, and sealing strip means projecting into said body, being interposed be tween said sides and floor of said body and said door means providing a fluid-tight dam and seal at the rear end of said body, said drain opening means serving to drain fluid to the outside of the body from inside said body that collects at said door means by reason of the presence of said sealing strip means.

11. In a refuse-collection vehicle, a hollow refuse-collecting body including a floor and opposed sides, an ejector within said body and means for actuating the ejector whereby the vehicle is self-unloading, door means extending upwardly from below the floor at the rear end of said body for closing off said rear end, a sump mounted beneath the floor of said body, drain opening means in said floor communicating with said sump and positioned in said body adjacent said door means, sealing strip means interposed between said sides and floor of said body and said door means providing a fluid-tight seal at the rear end of said body, said drain opening means serving to drain fliud inside said body that collects at said door means by reason of said sealing strip means, a transverse gutter extending across said body and positioned rearwardly of the rear end of said floor and below the level of said floor, and on opening connecting the interior of said gutter with said sump.

12. In a refuse-collection vehicle including a cab adjacent its forward end for a driver and to the rear of the cab a hollow refuse-collecting body having a floor and front and rear ends, a packer mounted within said body including a packer blade extending transversely of the body having a front face facing the rear end of the body, said packer further including elongated structure extending longitudinally of the vehicle projecting from the front face of the blade toward the rear end of said body and terminating in a mounting portion held remotely from the front face of said blade, and power-operated means connected to said mounting portion operable when actuated to force the mounting portion and the structure of which it is a part toward the floor of said body, said power-operated means also being operable when actuated to force said portion toward the rear of said body whereby said portion through said structure pulls the packer blade toward the rear of the body.

13. The refuse-collection vehicle of claim 12, wherein said floor is provided with elongated guides operatively engaging said elongated structure adjacent its said mounting portion, defining a path of movement for said mounting portion extending longitudinally of said vehicle, and inhibiting veering of the mounting portion from side to side.

14. The refuse-collection vehicle of claim 12, wherein said elongated structure includes a wall forming a top therefor extending along the structure and having a 20 downward slope progressing from the packer blade toward the rear end of said body, said power-operated means comprises a ram shielded by said Wall, and the downward slope of said wall enables said elongated structure to be wedged under refuse adjacent the rear of said body with said refuse tending to pile up and collect on said wall thus to force the wall and said structure downwardly on movement of the packer blade toward the rear end of said body.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,053,795 2/ 13 Ellis 296-38 1,088,104 2/14 Sharp 100126 X 1,148,426 7/15 Bachman 296-38 1,704,917 3/29 McCullough et al. 29638 X 2,800,234 7/57 Herpich et al. 21482 2,934,226 4/60 Dempster et al. 214-82 2,996,202 8/61 Neyland 214-82 2,999,606 9/6 1 Kamin 214-82 HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A REFUSE-COLLECTING VEHICLE, A HOLLOW REFUSE-COLLECTING BODY WITH A FLOOR AND SIDE WALLS, A MOVABLE PACKER WITHIN SAID BODY INCLUDING A BLADE FACING THE REAR OF SAID BODY, SAID PACKER BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN AN EXTENDED POSITION ADJACENT THE REAR OF SAID BODY AND A CONTRACTED POSITION ADJACENT THE FORWARD END OF SAID BODY, A SUMP FOR FLUID BENEATH SAID FLOOR AND AN OPENING FOR SAID SUMP FOR CONNECTING IT WITH THE INSIDE OF SAID BODY AT A POINT FORWARDLY OF SAID PACKER BLADE WHEN IT IS ARRANGED IN CONTRACTED POSITION, SAID BLADE BEING IMPERFORATE, WHEREBY SAID OPENING IS SHIELDED BY SAID PACKER FROM REFUSE TO THE REAR OF SAID BODY FROM SAID PACKER IN ALL POSITIONS OF SAID PACKER, AND MEANS FOR OPENING SAID SUMP OUTSIDE SAID BODY WHEREBY THE SUMP MAY BE CLEARED OF LIQUID. 